Credit: volleyballphilippines.com
Barueri, Brazil, April 21, 2022 – The Philippine national women’s volleyball squad kept on getting better each day, picking up another impressive win on Thursday at the expense of the Barueri Volleyball Club under-21 spikers right inside the latter’s home court at Sportville here.
Mylene Paat led the assault with 19 points and Jaja Santiago showed unstoppable prowess at the net with 18 points as the national spikers delivered another merciless 25-11, 22-25, 25-13, 26-24 flogging of the home team in front of a large visiting Filipino community cheering wildly at the stands.
Alyssa Valdez smashed the Brazilian end of the floor with eight points while fellow open spikers Ces Molina and Jema Galanza scored seven points each, thanks to the timing and precision of setters Kyle Negrito and Iris Tolenada who took turns in opening diverse scoring opportunities for Team Philippines.
While the Filipinos asserted their mastery in all four sets in their first meeting, the Brazilians were able to snatch a frame this time but couldn’t find a solution on fending off the continuous shelling from the other side.
Since they began the training camp eight days ago in this center of volleyball excellence, the PH spikers just dropped their first tuneup and won three in a row—once against club teams Sesi Sorocaba and twice opposite BVC U21.
The team was dog-tired from a 36-hour journey from Manila when the Filipinos immediately faced Superliga A Sao Caetano the following night upon their arrival.
“They have been working hard and they are getting better. I know that in competition, they can do much more,” said headcoach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito.
Team captain Aby Marano had her share of brilliance in the second set while opposite spiker Kat Tolentino, liberos Kath Arado, Dawn Macandili and middle blockers Dell Palomata and Majoy Baron contributed on deflecting the Brazilians.
The Philippine National Volleyball Federation headed by its president Ramon “Tats” Suzara has brought the women’s squad here for a two-week camp supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Rebisco, PLDT and the City of Taguig.
The camp has been designed to mold the team into championship form against heavyweights Thailand and Vietnam in the coming 31st Southeast Asian Games on May 12-23.
“The team has been consistently improving since arriving here. They have already adjusted and you can see it during practices and during the games,” said PNVF executive board member and national team chairperson Tony Boy Liao.
The PH spikers are aiming to secure a medal in the SEA Games to end a long drought that started when the team claimed a bronze medal in the 2005 SEA Games in Manila.
According to De Brito, who has a competent core of assistants in Odjie Mamon, Grace Antigua, Raffy Mosuela, Tina Salak and therapist Grace Gomez, the national squad won’t play another tuneup until some of the on-court concerns have been addressed.
“We don’t need any (tuneup game) right now. Maybe next week, but right now we have to fix some problems before we play again,” said De Brito.
Philippines claim first win in tuneup match against Brazil’s Sesi Sorocaba
Sorocaba, Brazil, April 20, 2022 – The Philippine national women’s volleyball team defeated host Sesi Sorocaba in straight sets, 25-13, 25-19, 25-18, 25-17, 15-9, during their tuneup match on Tuesday at the Sesi Clube here.
Ces Molina was a formidable presence on the floor, tallying 20 points, including four blocks and four service aces while Jaja Santiago added 13 points with the same number of blocks for the PH spikers, who have been slowly getting into the groove six days into their training camp.
It was their second game against a Brazilian club team following the national squad’s meeting against Sao Caetano, the reigning champion of Superliga B, just a day after their arrival from a long 36-hour journey from Manila.
Opposite spiker Mylene Paat likewise did a splendid job with 12 points, highlighted by 10 attacks while Alyssa Valdez, Kat Tolentino, Ria Meneses and setter Kyle Negrito made a good account of themselves in asserting their dominance over the under-21 Superliga C mainstay.
“This is the first time we really played as a team. I’m not satisfied, but it’s a fresh start. We have to get better everyday,” said head coach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito, who fielded in middle blocker Dell Palomata, Kat Tolentino, setter Kyle Negrito, open spikers Jema Galanza and Molina as starters.
They didn’t disappoint de Brito after the PH squad took control early and coasted along in the opening capped by a Molina block.
The Brazilians stormed back from four points down early and fought the Filipinos toe to toe until Santiago and Molina combined their efforts and Paat scored two straight service aces that again brought down the hosts.
Team captain Aby Marano and Alyssa Valdez helped Team Philippines build a commanding lead, 12-3, before Sesi Sorocaba threatened to overhaul the advantage to the delight of over a hundred school children cheering for the hosts.
Paat and Valdez then joined forces with a variety of attacks that finished off the Brazilians in the third set. During the fourth set, it was the time of Ria Meneses to shine , efficiently delivering on the defensive end despite the limited time on the floor.
Galanza and Tolentino continued to shine with help coming from Iris Tolenada and Majoy Baron in the extra set before Santiago saw a hole in the Brazilian defense for match point.
“They played much better compared to the first game, pero siempre hindi pa rin perfect. Malayo ang nilaro nila compared to the first game,” said Philippine National Volleyball Federation executive board member and national team chairperson Tony Boy Liao.
“You can now say na nagkaka-amuyan na sila,” added Liao.
The PH spikers will next face the under-21 Barueri club team twice in a row on Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning.
The team is going through intensive training here for two weeks in preparation for the 31 t Southeast Asian Games in Hanoi, Vietnam on May 12-23.
Philippine girls meet Olympic gold medallist Sergio Santos
Barueri, Brazil, April 19 – Two-time Olympic gold medalist Sergio Santos showed up at the training camp of the Philippine women’s volleyball team and provided words of wisdom that inspired the squad whose mission is to achieve victory and glory in the 31st Southeast Asian Games.
The PH spikers were mesmerized by the presence of Santos, who is widely regarded as one of the best liberos of all time with a collection of awards more than any other libero in the history of the sport.
And when the 46-year-old Brazilian champion took out his four Olympic medals—golds in 2004 Athens and 2016 Rio De Janeiro and silvers in 2008 Beijing and 2012 London—everybody tried to get hold of him and posed for videos and photos.
“I grew up in the suburbs and dreamed of becoming a great volleyball player someday. I relentlessly pursued that dream, never gave up and eventually accomplished my goal,” Santos told the national women’s team through an interpreter after practice on Monday at the Sportville training camp here.
It has certainly motivated open spikers Alyssa Valdez, Jema Galanza, Ces Molina as well as opposite spikers Kat Tolentino, Mylene Paat and middle blockers Jaja Santiago, Aby Maraño, Majoy Baron, Dell Palomata, Ria Meneses and setters Kyle Negrito and Iris Tolenada.
Santos also picked up the volleyball and showcased his talent with fellow liberos Dawn Macandili and Kath Arado at centercourt to the cheers of the entire team and the coaching staff headed by headcoach Jorge Edson Souza de Brito.
Assistant coaches Odjie Mamon and Grace Antigua were misty-eyed upon seeing the Olympic medals while coaches Raffy Mosuela, Tina Salak and therapist Grace Gomez joined the festive gathering along with Philippine National Volleyball League executive board member and national team chairperson Tony Boy Liao.
“Coach Grace and I were emotional when we saw the Olympic medals. It was also our dream to be there in the Olympics,” said Mamon, a former national team standout along with the Cebuana volleyball icon Antigua.
Santos has a list of individual accolades in international volleyball too long to mention, including a pair of Most Valuable Player awards in the 2009 FIVB World League and 2016 Rio De Janeiro Olympics.
The national spikers sustained their twice-a-day training on Monday in preparation for their tuneup against Superliga B club Sesi Sorocaba on Tuesday.
PNVF president Ramon “Tats” Suzara has been closely monitoring the progress of the team, which is in the early phase of its two-week training camp supported by the Philippine Sports Commission, Philippine Olympic Committee, Rebisco, PLDT and the City of Taguig.
They already played Superliga A club Sao Caetano a day after their arrival Thursday last week and will engage in two more matches opposite Brazilian clubs on Wednesday and Thursday to gauge the team’s medal bid in the SEA Games.
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